Gassy kitten refuses litter box

Hey all,

I have a few questions regarding my kitten's bathroom behavior.

I adopted my second cat a couple months ago. He was about 6 months old when I got him, so is around 8 months old now.

My first problem is he has some toilet training issues. He keeps pooping on the floor in the office (where the litter boxes are kept). Sometimes he poops on the hard-wood floor, which is easy to clean, but other times he poops on the rug and then will "bury" it by covering the edge of the rug over it--so I come home to a lovely rug-poop sandwich. He's done this for a while now (maybe 3 or 4 weeks?), but I don't think he's done it since I first brought him home. When he pees, he also refuses to bury it. He will hop in the litter box, pee, then hop out, leaving it uncovered. My other cat will later come in and bury it for him (which makes me wonder if my other cat is actually the one burying his rug poops as well).

I just have no idea why he's doing this?! He and the other cat have their own boxes, so its not that he has an issue with sharing. I also keep the boxes very clean, so its not an issue with not wanting to go in a dirty box. I've also tried several different litter brands and types, so I don't think its a litter brand issue. Also, when he goes on the floor, it seems his poop is rather soft. He's also a bit gassy sometimes. So I'm wondering if his box issues have something to do with that? What consistency is kitten poop even supposed to be and is it normal for kittens to have gas?? (Aside from gas and not pooping where he should be, he's totally fine--playful, social, cuddly, curious, and has a great appetite). If soft poop and gas could be the issue, does anyone have a food brand suggestion? 

When I first got him, I had him checked by a vet, and his fecal sample was checked then and came back negative for parasites and all that other junk. He (and my other cat) is an indoor cat, so I don't think his test results would be any different if I got it re-checked now. He also got a checkup when I took him in for his last round of booster shots, about a month ago, so he has been seen recently enough that I would really like to avoid another vet visit so soon.

SO, ultimately, I'm wondering if something is wrong with his poop (or intestines / bowels), and if so, could that be the source of him avoiding the litter box? 

The rule is one cat per box and one more and it's best to spread them out into different rooms. 

What do you feed him? How many times a day do you feed him?

A kitten;s stool should be firm and not break up easily when you scoop it. She should poo once or maybe twice a day at most. 

One of my cat's doesn't cover her pee or poo, we got her from a breeder when she was 10 weeks but I'm wondering if she was separated from her mum a little early before she could be taught good toilet habits. 

Personally, I'd be taking the mat away while I dealt with the problem just because it is easier to get poo off a floor but it's not necessary. Are you using an enzymatic cleaner to clean the floor and mat? If you use ordinary cleaners the smell will persist and the kitten will believe it's another toilet. 

As M moorspede says, you need at least one box per cat plus one extra - and sometimes more. Some cats, in addition to not liking to share a box, prefer to pee and poop in different places. This instinct goes back to when they were living wild, and not wanting to create too strong a scent marker in one place so as not to attract predators (because cats are relatively small, they are both predators and prey in the wild ).

With the covering - not all cats cover their pee and poop. My girl is like this (or, rather, she tries but ends up scratching everywhere BUT the litter ). It's nothing to be concerned about in itself, so you may just have to accept it as one of your kitty's quirks

The litterbox avoidance is another issue, however. I really do urge you to have a second vet check, just to be absolutely certain there is nothing physical going on. You say he's free of worms, but was he checked for other parasites? Giardia and coccidia are very common in shelter/rescue cats, and a PCR test is the only sure way to tell if they have them. Physical issues are very commonly the cause for litterbox avoidance, so this is always the place to start.

If he does get a clean bill of health, my next though would be that he's sensitive to certain ingredients in his food. Sensitivities are a very individual thing (just like they are in people), but common triggers include grains/cereals, artificial colours/flavours, gums (guar gum, cassia gum, xanthan gum etc), carrageenan, peas, potatoes, and sometimes even meats such as chicken or beef. Now, it's HIGHLY unlikely that your boy will have issues with ALL of these, but it should give you a start point. Your vet really is the best person to talk to about dietary issues too, so a vet visit could be useful even if food is the trigger. [article="33457"][/article] [article="29716"][/article][article="29707"][/article][article="31089"][/article][article="31127"][/article][article="31167"][/article][article="33149"][/article][article="31144"][/article][thread="307130"][/thread]

Hi kristenanna, It's more likely psychological than physical. Make sure the litter boxes are open and not hidden. Some cats get nervous when they spend vulnarable time in a box and can't see who's coming. He should have a clear line of sight when he's in the box. 

As he is young and if nothing else will work, you could be a little creative. Get a carpet tile and place it near the litter box. Then start placing it in the spot the last pooped on the floor. If he starts using it to poop on, slowly add a tiny bit of litter to the tile and start, slowly! moving it toward the litter box. Eventually ending up with a small piece of carpet tile in the litter box. 

You have not mentioned this, but don't punish him for his behaviour, don't put this nose in the poop or grab him by the neck and put him in the litter box. None of this will have any effect other than making him anxious.

Best of luck!

Since it's so close to the litter box and he doesn't cover his urine in the litter box, I wonder if he's trying to do his business too quickly and hopping out too fast. My cat has pooped right near the litter box a couple of times. I'd get upset a bit, then realize that she must have been startled by something and rushed out since she otherwise always poops in her litter box. The other day, I found two pieces of poop on a trail leading away from the litter box and one small piece inside the litter box, so she must have started doing her business, got startled and jumped out, finishing it as she ran off. >.

Seconding the idea for another vet check. Gas and loose stools are not normal.